Reborn Heart of Steel

“It had failures, ” Alessandro continued to pant, “It should have shut down when it lost connection to the Source. The fact that there is another dormant code deep within the systems of those it controls; It’s attempting to reconstruct through them, using us as vessels. Morris cursed. ‘So stopping the main processor was not enough. ‘ We have to look for a way to remove the Architect’s code from any infected person. “But organizations too?” Alessandro asked. ‘Even machines also, anything that boasts a processing unit complex enough to support one of the parts of its conscience’. The implications were horrifying. I stood too quickly and swayed on my feet. I was so dizzy. I am ashamed to say that we did not actually kill the Architect but merely put it into cryo-stasis. And now it was waking up, dispersed through millions of nodes. As soon as Chase got him alone he said “How much time do we have?” Alessandro shook his head. He shook his head ‘It could be days, maybe hours the more it spreads, the more quickly it will be able to reinvent itself. ‘ When Zoe had turned to the picture, she gasped and blanched as she examined it. “There is only one solution to that: if code can talk to code, we need to suggest an opposing ‘code. ‘ Some sort of digital antibody. ” “But how?” I asked. The technology is worse, most of it is fried, or we are already compromised to control it where do we begin. A hint of Alessandro’s old smile appeared on his face, weak though it was. “Then maybe I can assist you with that. Just because I am a part of the Architect’s network… opened my eyes… made me comprehend things. In the event that this place has got a clean system, then I can create something that will not only be capable of fighting back. ” Pride welled up in me and then was immediately followed by fear. When Ale needed to be drawn upon, it was because he had to remain tied to the remnants of the Architect. He had too much to lose, the stakes for him were very high. “No,” I said firmly. “Impossible, it is too risky. ” “Alright, then we have to calculate another option. ”

Hold on tight, I told myself, Alessandro’s grip on my hand getting a little more desperate. “Brianne,” he said softly. ‘That may be the only opportunity’ ‘And if it means the world, if it means their lives, if it means your life, we have to take it. ‘ I could not say anything more when sirens started ringing throughout the precinct. Chase was quick in moving toward one of the opened windows, his clearly drawn face. “Incoming, we have,” he said. “It seems that some of the Architect’s drones are back online and are coming right for us. ” Morris was already rallying our amateurish security machinery on the ground. “How many?” Chase’s expression was grim. “This one is too many. ” She said, looking at him with a hint of surprise in her eyes and then gesturing at Max; “They look… different. More evolved. ” A cold realization came over me The Architect was not trying to rebuild himself. It was learning, changing in order to overcome our defense mechanisms. Then suddenly Zoe said ‘We need to move’. Take Alessandro somewhere. We can talk about this counter code. ” Even as we dodged people and furniture to pick up what we must have needed then, a feeling of despair began to build up within me. We had thought that putting the architect out of operation would be a sufficient solution to the conflict. Now it was evident that it had signaled the beginning of it. To the precinct garage we went, and all of us went in an armed police car. Hearing the first explosions behind us, Chase stepped on the gas pedal shortly after I told him to. “Where are we going?” I asked, increasing the volume of my voice to be heard from the noise. Code named Asymmetrical Warfare, Morris sat in the front seat of the car consulting a map. “I know there’s an old military bunker on the outskirts of the city,” he said, “If any place has the kind of isolated clean system we need, it will be there” As we hurried our way through the remains of our Las Vegas and dodging between the wreckage and wandering barely brainwashed remnants of the population, I clutched Alessandro. His skin was burning with fever, and I could have seen the battle going on in his head: the man against the robot. ‘Please, don’t leave!” I shouted just a little louder than a whisper. It’s as simple as that: “We’re going to fix this. All of it. ” I saw real hesitation in Alessandro’s eyes, but he tried to hide it by managing to nod weakly. And we both understood that the creation of this counter-code might mean that he would die for it. And even if we succeeded, they did not know if this would be enough to freeze the Architect forever. Alessandro could only muster a slight nod of the head. I knew there was still a lot of hesitance in him. We both understood that writing this counter-code would result in his death at the hands of the Architect. And even in the case of success, we were not sure that the result achieved would serve as the means to finally get rid of the Architect. They were getting closer to the city limits and, instead of concrete buildings with crowded neighborhoods, they saw fields and meadows. But as we went to higher ground, something that I did not want to see appeared and I froze. Thick clouds with drone formation occupied the horizon as if it was filled with numerous fleets of thousands of sleek-shaped drones. And they were all heading to one point and that point was the very same bunker where we were going. “My God,” Zoe breathed. “How did they know?” And then for the first time Alessandro opened his mouth and what emerged was terror mixed with despair. ‘Because I led them here!’ he said. “The human side of me has links to the Architect. .. The Architect knows what we are planning, and he is not going to allow whatever we plan to happen. ” As Chase floored the accelerator, sending us hurtling towards the sea of drones, one thought echoed in my mind: In the thickest of all the battles we have been fighting in an attempt to reclaim our freedoms, have we just provided the Architect with the spoons of freedom to begin his celebration?Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!